


Darling It's Better Down Where It's Wetter

by MysticEmerald (feelskilledthefangirl)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion, Human Victor Nikiforov, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Mermaid Transformation, Mermaid Victor Nikiforov, Mermaid Yuuri Katsuki, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Royalty, Shapeshifting, merfolk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22058530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feelskilledthefangirl/pseuds/MysticEmerald
Summary: Rebellious twenty-four-year-old Victor Nikiforov is fascinated by life under the sea. Sadly, Victor is forbidden from exploring the oceans vast expanse due to its endless dangers.  Victor’s mother, the powerful Queen of Aria, decides that it’s time for her son to grow up and drags him on a journey across the ocean in hopes of finding him a proper suitor to marry. However, during the trip, her plans are derailed when a terrible storm blows in and causes their ship to wreck.During the chaos, Victor is thrown overboard and finds himself struggling to keep his head above water. Miraculously, Victor is saved by a handsome, mysterious mermaid who quickly vanishes back into the salty waters without even a goodbye.Thankful to be alive and hopelessly in love with this skittish Mer, Victor makes a dangerous deal and sets out to find the creature who saved his life.Will Victor be able to find his savior and finally get his happily ever after or will he pay dearly for his gamble and lose everything?Or...A Little Mermaid AU where Viktor turns himself into a mermaid to be with his mer!crush Yuuri
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky (implied)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63
Collections: Yuri!!! on Ice Secret Skater 2019





	1. Across Oceans Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roserelease](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roserelease/gifts).



> Unbeta'd, all mistakes are my own. If there are any blinding issues/mistakes, feel free to leave me a comment and let me know!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I am finally posting my Yuri on Ice Secret Skater Gift! I apologize for posting this so late! This gift is for the lovely roserelease who gave me such a fun prompt to work with!
> 
> All the prompts provided were so amazing but the one I was immediately drawn to was about writing a Reverse Little Mermaid AU. I tried to include as many of your 'likes' as possible into this story and I hope it matched up with your expectations. 
> 
> I have always wanted to write/draw a Mer AU tbh but had no idea where to start so you gave me the perfect place to begin! I have plenty more planned for this story and much more art to go along with it as well! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and I hope this piece meets all of your expectations! 
> 
> (Also, I may or may not have used parts of the little mermaid summary for my own story summary 😅)

Victor was sulking. There was no other way to put it. He was salty as the sea that he was currently sailing across.

Everyone aboard the ship knew Victor was unhappy, even his dog, Makkachin could tell that Victor was in a mood, but no one tried to help. They were all traitors, leaving him to suffer like this, too afraid to stand up to his mother and put a stop to her annoying games. Makka, at least, was laying dutiful by his side, curled into a loose ball in a valiant attempt to get Victor out of his funk. Occasionally, she would lick his hand just as a reminder that she was still there. Victor appreciated her attempts, but right now there really wasn’t anything that could pull Victor from his stupor.

Ordinarily, Victor would be jumping with joy that the very mention of boarding a ship. He loved the ocean and basically everything about it. Deep down, he knew his heart belonged to the sea and her endless blue waves. Victor jumped at any opportunity cast off across open water, pulled along by the wind and the waves. The ocean held so much mystery both above and below the surface. He hated that she kept so many secrets hidden away from human eyes. Victor wished that he had the means to explore the treasures of the sea, but science and technology still had a long way to go before lengthy underwater excursions became possible for mankind. 

It just wasn’t fair.

Much to Victor’s disappointment, his ocean adventures were rather limited. Even the most experienced voyagers faced great dangers every time the set out on a trip across the ocean. The churning waters were filled with sea monsters large enough to topple ships, towering waves powerful enough to pull ships apart piece by piece, and the alluring siren songs of Mer that lured fishermen to their watery graves. Many times, those who went out on ocean voyages, never returned, their fates unknown to everyone on land.

Despite the dangers, Victor still wanted to spend his life traveling the ocean, even if it meant he would meet his end at the bottom of the ocean.

However, as crowned prince of Aria and next in line for the throne, Victor was carefully monitored and kept far away from the dangers of sea travel. Growing up, Victor had always been a tricky, mischievous boy and found every opportunity he could to find a way down to the ocean. He had even managed a few, brief trips across the glittering water on small fishing boats stollen from the royal docks. However, none of the is journeys ever lasted long and he was always eventually pulled back to shore by his mother or another member of the royal guard. These trips always ended with hours of scolding and lectures, much to Victor’s utter annoyance. 

As he grew older, sneaking away became harder and harder. Now, at twenty-four, Victor had a number of royal responsibilities placed upon his shoulders. There was always someone watching him or accompanying him. He even had guardsmen placed outside his doors at night to keep him from sneaking off in the middle of the night.

Victor’s mother assured him that it merely for his protection, but he knew otherwise. He was sure that this was his mother’s way of keeping him in line. By keeping a constant watch over Victor, his mother could ensure that he wasn’t pulling any more antics to find a way to travel the ocean.

If he did journey down to the ocean's edge, he was always accompanied by someone, and it made Victor feel like he was five years old. The ocean was the only thing that allowed Victor to feel free and now, even that had been taken from him. Now, going to the ocean's edge just made him feel sad instead of happy. The ocean simply mocked him from afar, the glittering blue waters whispering to him and begging him to join.

Everyone assured him that his mother was doing this out of love, but to Victor, it felt like anything but. The only thing his mother seemed to care about was training Victor to be the perfect king. It was the last thing that Victor wanted in life.

Outside the palace grounds, no one was stopped from playing in the ocean, though most parents and children alike feared the dangers of the salty water. It was no secret that sea travel was incredibly dangers to all and the royal court strongly discouraged its citizens from venturing into the ocean or sailing across open seas.

Aside from the fishermen who stayed close to shore, most people headed these warnings and stayed far away from the sandy shores. Those who dared to take a boat further than the reef, often never returned, meeting some terrible, unknown fate.

Many people blamed these deaths on the MerFolk who lived beneath the water’s surface. Their history was filled with stories of these terrible creatures who thirsted for blood and took any opportunity to rip humans’ apart piece by piece. They were widely believed to be ruthless, bloodthirsty creatures who hated when humans entered their territory.

Despite these horrifying stories, Victor was still curious about the creatures who lived beneath the ocean’s surface. There were a few stories scattered throughout history claiming that sailors had been saved by these creatures when ships were overturned or led to safety when sailing through terrible fogs. There were far fewer stories like these, but they were always Victor’s favorite. Unlike most, Victor didn’t believe that these creatures were all bad. If they were anything like the human race, then there had to be a way to make peace with the creatures instead of being their enemies.

Sadly, there were few people who met these creatures and lived to tell the tail. Victor had tried to find people who had met Mer in the past, but most of them refused to talk. Most of them were too scared to recount the stories much to Victor’s utter disappointment.

Victor sat up with a sigh. He looked to the far wall where there was a tiny window cut into the side of the ship. With a heavy heart, Victor stood and walked to the window so he could catch a glimpse of the churning waters. It was late and night had long since fallen so there wasn’t much to see. On top of that, the sky was filled with dark clouds that obscured the mood and most of the stars in the sky. 

Victor’s heart ached in his chest and he wished that he could feel happy about this ocean journey. However, he knew that the only reason he was on this ship was because of his mother’s controlling behavior and her wish for him to act like a proper prince. She would never be willing to let him travel across the ocean unless there was some alternative motive behind it that catered to a specific goal.

Of course, his mother, Natalia Nikiforova Queen of Aria, tried to feed him some bullshit line to mask her real plans, but Victor saw right through it.

Based on his mother’s account, they had been invited to the Plisetsky Palace for a celebration of Victor’s twenty-fifth birthday which was now just a few short days away. The man running the Plisetsky palace also happened to be Victor’s uncle, Nikolai Plisetsky, who he was quite fond of, and his eighteen-year-old cousin Yuri Plisetsky, who had a temper fiery enough to dry up the oceans. Apparently, this party was supposed to be a huge celebration with a very long guest list. People from all across the land would be in attendance just to celebrate another year of life for the Prince of Aria.

The fact that this party was so grand is part of what made Victor so suspicious. Normally, the Plisetsky’s kept to themselves and stayed quiet unless their input was requested from another kingdom. So, the fact that the Plisetsky’s were willing to host such a lavish celebration was enough to make Victor believe that his mother was the one pulling the strings here. He was certain that this party was just another one of his mother’s ways of pushing him toward finding a proper suitor to one day marry. The purpose of this party was for Victor to meet hundreds of new people and try to dodge their pitiful attempts at courting him.

Growing up, Victor’s mother had always talked about how eager she was for Victor to find a loyal man or woman to wed. She would gush about how much support they would provide and how they could help to strengthen bonds with other nations. No matter what, Victor’s mother always seemed to have a way of removing the actual ‘romance’ aspect of a relationship and it left him feeling disheartened. Queen Nikiforova had this great vision for her son and expected him to fill shoes that were too large to carry.

Overall, Queen Nikiforova was known across the land and a great and powerful leader who provided her people with happiness and prosperity. All of this, she had done on her own without a partner standing by her side. So, Victor could never understand why she was so desperate to marry him off. 

Victor never knew his own father, or at least, he had no memories of the man. His father had married into the thrown and died before Victor’s first birthday after coming down with a terrible illness. According to his mother, Victor’s father hadn’t come from royalty or any sort of nobility. Before meeting his mother, the man had been nothing more than a simple farm boy and the two had met by chance when they were both young. The two had fallen in love and married soon after.

Over the years, Victor heard rumors that his father’s influence on his mother had many positive effects on the kingdom and upon Aria. His mother had been a softer, kinder woman who wanted Victor to grow up following his own path. However, things changed after his death. His mother grew sad and cold, falling back into the strict lifestyle of the royal family. His mother did seem to get happier when Victor was around, but there was still a hint of sadness in her eyes when she looked at him. Sometimes Victor wondered how different things would have been if his father had still been around today. Maybe, just maybe he would have had the chance to explore the ocean as he’d always dreamed of doing.

Victor wished that his mother would have, even once, just asked Victor what his dreams were or what kind of future that he wanted. Instead, he simply had to follow the path that his mother set like the proper prince he was raised to be.

Deep down, Victor hoped that he would never have to take over the throne. He didn’t ask to be Crown Prince; the role had simply been thrust upon him the moment he was born. Victor, for the most part, played his role as expected but he couldn’t hold back visions of his own dreams and. Day in and day out, Victor walked through the motions of a royal prince and dealt with endless streams of political matters that he honestly couldn’t care less about. He lost track of how many court cases he’d heard and tried not to sleep through meeting about new laws and policies that people wanted to implement. Victor wanted to run away from it all. He hated every minute of playing prince, but instead of protesting and rejecting his birthright Victor just wore a smile and walked along the path carved for him as was expected. Victor was stuck in an endless rut and he had no idea how to get free.

All of his choices and decisions in life had been stripped from him. His mother had even managed to destroy the freedom to find love on his own terms. Victor was now at a point in his life where he believed that love was impossible. 

Since he was of royal descent, everyone he met was always looking for a way to use him to their advantage. Someone was always watching him or trying to speak with him and it was just exhausting. Then, there was the endless stream of wedding proposals. Hundreds of them arrived every day from people in every corner of the land and from every status imaginable. Victor knew he should be flattered, but they were simply annoying and he threw most of the letters away without even a second thought. None of those people felt genuine and everyone he met always seemed fake. Victor was certain that the only reason anyone approached him or paid him any mind was thanks to his status as Prince of Aria. If he was a village commoner, no one would so much as give him a second glance. 

Victor wanted more than fake love and fake promises from a partner, but at this point, he doubted that he would ever get to have that type of life.

During his younger years, Victor had more hope for a bright future. He had tried dating a few times here and there, but none of them had been serious relationships. His past relationships had hardened his heart and helped to confirm that no one wanted to actually know the real him. There had been a few people who he actually could have seen himself marrying one day before they showed their true selves. None of his past partners had actually been in love with him, they only cared about what they could gain from being associated with Victor. 

After his last partner broke his heart at seventeen, Victor called off dating forever. He was pretty sure that finding love was impossible unless he met someone who literally lived under a rock their whole life. Victor had almost managed to convince himself that he is fine living a loveless existence in a big empty bed, but his nightmares often remind him otherwise. Still, Victor wasn’t ready to try and open his heart again, so for now, he decided that putting this off for as long as possible was the best option.

Clearly, his mother believed otherwise, which is why she set up this whole ridiculous party for him in the first place. Victor just didn’t understand why his mother tried to push him too much to find a partner when she had been able to find one on her own time. Every time Victor thought about this stupid party, he wished that he could just sink to the bottom of the ocean and die.

If he was destined to find love, then Victor wanted to do it on his own terms. Not because of some obligation set by his family lineage. He was past the point in his life where he longed for a random one night hook up and he had no desire to marry someone just to reap some political gain. Victor saw no point in marrying someone he didn’t care about. His days of flitting around from person to person were over and he didn’t want to be some achievement that people could check off after sleeping with him. Victor wanted to find someone who actually cared about him and loved him for something beyond his birthright and family name.

Unfortunately, despite everything, there was still very little Victor could do to get himself out of attending this party. Especially now that he was aboard this ship. The path was already set and chosen for him. He was at the mercy of the ocean and the ship’s captain now.

If he had tried to hide in some obscure part of the palace before the ship left or temporarily disappear into the villages surrounding Aria, his mother would send the royal guard to fetch him, meaning, his right-hand man and head of the royal guard, Christophe Giacometti would come to retrieve him.

Victor had no doubt in his mind that Chris would be able to find him with little to no issue. The man was like a damn bloodhound, at least when it came to finding Victor. Additionally, if he attempted this, he would receive a harsh scolding from his mother and it would look bad to the public eye. Even if no one whispered a word to the public, someone would still find out and spread bad publicity throughout the land. That was the last thing their kingdom needed.

So sadly, the only thing Victor could do right now was to lock himself in his quarters and quietly sulk until they made it to shore. Then, after that, he would then have to put on his best smile and do his best warm and welcoming instead of wishing that he would rather be anywhere else. At least he still had was able to say no to any marriage proposal he received, for now. Victor was sure that eventually, his mother would even take away that choice from him and force him to wed someone of her own selection.

Until that day came, however, Victor still had at least a small semblance of power remaining.

“Makka, this is so unfair,” Victor groaned for what felt like the thousandth time since boarding the ship, turning away from the window to look at his fluffy brown poodle.

At the mention of her name, Makka lifted her head from the bed and looked toward him. She cocked her head to the side as if to say _‘not much you can do now’_ before sighing heavily and settling her head down again. Makka was honestly probably tired of his whining too, but she thankfully put up with it without complaint.

“One of the few times I’m _actually_ allowed to sail, it’s just to attend some stupid party meant to force me into a relationship,” Victor was grumbling mostly to himself since there was no one else to listen to his bitching. Not even the gentle rocking of the ship across the ocean’s surface could help ease his stress. 

Victor glanced towards the door briefly and then back to Makkachin, an idea formulating in his mind.

“Do you think everyone is asleep by now, Makka?” Victor asked, not expecting a reply.

Makka sighed heavily, but otherwise made no acknowledgment of Victor’s question.

Victor strode towards the door, unbolted it, and slowly poked his head out the door, glancing left and right to see if there was anyone around. It was pretty late, so hopefully, everyone had now retired and would leave him alone. When Victor was certain that the halls were unoccupied, he turned back to Makka and called her over, promising to take her on a quick walk.

At the mention of a walk, Makka was on her feet and by Victor’s side, tail wagging excitedly.

Together, the two left the room and silently walked toward the deck of the ship. Thankfully, Victor’s assumption had been correct and everyone appeared to be asleep. The only sounds to be heard were the gentle pattering of Makka’s feet on the ship floor and the soft creaking of wood as the ship rocked back and forth.

As they stepped onto the deck, Victor stopped for a moment to take a deep breath of the damp, briny air. A soft breeze danced across his face, making Victor’s hair flutter and swirl like it had a life of its own. Victor wished that he could experience this every day instead of just once in a blue moon.

When Victor opened eyes, he didn’t realize had closed, Makka was standing a small distance away, looking at him and waiting for him to continue walking.

“Sorry girl lets continue,” Victor apologized as he resumed their walk.

They circled the deck of the ship twice before Victor finally stopped again at the bow of the ship. He placed his arms on the railing and looked out over the endless stretch of ocean. It was hard to see the gentle role and churn of the ocean due to the low light. More clouds had moved in, consuming all the stars in the night air and leaving their surrounding dark and chilly.

Makka realized that Victor wasn’t going to be moving for a while and she curled up somewhere near his feet to rest.

Victor wasn’t sure how long he stood there, but it was long enough for his eyes to start feeling heavy.

As he gazed out across the waters, blinking sleepily, Victor heard a small splash that was out of place. He jumped slightly and turned his head in curiosity, trying to find the source of the sound. To his right, he could see the rippling of water, likely where the splash originated from. Then, Victor saw a flash of color, a glimmer of _something_ that was more than just the sparkling of water beneath the surface.

Victor strained his eyes, desperate to make out more of the glittering thing that caused the splash. He didn’t realize just how far over the edge of the ship he had been leaning until a hand clamped down on Victor’s shoulder to pull him back.

Victor jumped violently, squawking indignantly as he nearly fell the rest of the way overboard. The only reason he was able to stay aboard the ship was because of the firm grasp upon his shoulder.

“I don’t think tossing yourself overboard is the best way to get out of going to this party, darling,” a familiar voice purred close to his ear.

“Fuck, Chris,” Victor swore, turning towards his best friend with a hand clasped over his rapidly beating heart. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“My apologies,” Chris hummed, his voice sounding anything but sorry. “I couldn’t let our beloved crown prince do anything too stupid, now could I?”

“I wasn’t trying to throw myself overboard,” Victor scoffed. “I’m not suicidal.”

“Hmm, maybe not, but you are a bit daft sometimes. One unexpected push from behind or jolt of the ship and you would have gone over and no one would have known about your absence till morning. By that time, any hopes of rescuing you would be gone.”

“Mhh…” Victor hummed nonchalantly, glancing back over the water. Whatever had made that splash was surely long gone by now.

“What were you doing anyway?” Chris asked. “Looked like your mind was miles away.”

“I thought I saw… _something_ , out there,” Victor mused. “There was something that made a big splash and I was trying to see what it was.”

“Wow, something splashed around in the ocean?” Chris gasped in mock surprise. “What a shocker. Who knew that creature who lived beneath the surface knew how to splash?”

Victor shot his friend a dark look. “I don’t like you,” Victor lied.

Chris simply smirked. “Love you too, darling.”

Victor turned his nose up at Chris and sat on the deck beside Makkachin. After a moment, Chris joined him, both of their backs leaned up against the deck wall.

“So, what has you out and about so late in the evening?” Victor finally asked.

Chris shrugged and said, “Nightly rounds. Gotta keep an eye on things and clearly, it was a pretty good idea. Saved your dumb ass from making stupid choices.”

“I’ve already told you,” Victor huffed in exasperation. “I wasn’t trying to go overboard.”

“Mmm...” Chris hummed. “Well, at least I know that you haven’t died now that you’ve finally come out of your quarters for the first time in two days.”

Victor was silent, hand running absently through Makka’s long, dark curls.

Eventually, Chris spoke again and said, “Look, I know you’re not happy about this, but your mother is just trying to look out for you.”

“By trying to push me to find someone to marry?” Victor scoffed. “Doesn’t seem like that to me. It’s like she doesn’t even care about what I want. All she wants is for me to follow this path she’s planned out for me.”

“She’s just worried about you,” Chris tried to explain.

Victor scoffed and turned his head away from Chris. “Well, she has a funny way of showing it.”

“Try not to be too hard on her,” Chris soothed.

“I just wish that for once, I could choose what happens in my own life,” Victor griped.

“Who knows, you might just find your soulmate at that party.” Chris always tried to be the optimistic one of the pair. Victor had no idea how the guy always seemed to be in such high spirits.

“Of course,” Victor grumbled with a roll of his eyes. “Everyone is gonna act like they’re my soulmate at that party. They all want to be the one to win my hand, so right now, they’d do anything I asked, even if I asked something as ridiculous as cleaning the bottom of my shoe with their tongue.”

Victor’s comment finally seemed to leave Chris at a loss for words. Chris knew he was right.

The two sat in a quiet, but comfortable silence. Victor knew that Chris saw how stressful this all was. Chris simply tried to help Victor see the bright side in things, even when things seemed impossible. As frustrated as he got with Chris, Victor couldn’t deny that the man was his best friend. Chris was pretty much the only person who looked at him and saw past the title of Crowned Prince that he carried. Chris understood that beneath everything, Victor was still just an ordinary human being, just like everyone else.

Eventually, Chris spoke up again, his voice barely audible. “Well, regardless of what happens, I’ll still be by your side, supporting whatever decisions you make, even if they are on the stupid side.”

“Even if those choices go against my mother’s wishes?” Victor questioned, a sad smile playing on his lips.

Chris shuttered slightly but nodded. “Yeah, even if your wishes go against the will of your utterly terrifying mother.”

Victor chuckled quietly and replied, “She is pretty scary when she gets mad, isn’t she?”

“Absolutely earth-shatteringly terrifying,” Chris agrees with a small laugh of his own.

Suddenly, the wind around them began to pick up, sending a chill down Victor’s spine. In the distance, he could hear the soft, grumble of thunder, warning them of an impending storm.

Makka lifted her head immediately and started whimpering.

“Shhh, it’s alright sweetheart,” Victor cooed.

“Hmm… guess a storm is getting ready to blow in,” Chris mused, stating the obvious.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Victor agreed, yawning tiredly. “I should get Makka back below deck then. You know how scared she is of thunder.”

Chris nodded. “Yeah, and I guess that’s my cue to hurry up and finish my rounds for the night.”

Victor stood and brushed himself off, coaxing Makka to her feet with a gentle whistle.

“See you tomorrow, right?” Chris asked.

“We’ll see,” Victor hummed. He hadn’t yet decided if he was ready to deal with the other people on the ship just yet. Victor much preferred the silence and solitude since he so rarely had those luxuries back at the palace.

Another growl of thunder rolled through the air, and Victor looked out over the waters once again. The waves were already starting to look choppy and Victor started to chew at his lip. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach and Victor wasn’t sure why. Even after he and Makka settled into bed for the night, that feeling still followed him, leaving Victor to restlessly toss and turn before he finally managed to drift off.

~~~

Victor awoke with a start, heart pounding in his chest as the rumbling sound of thunder tore through the night sky. Immediately, Victor reached for Makkachin, knowing that she was terrified of storms. However, when his hands were met the empty cold space beside him, Victor sat up and looked around.

Everything was rocking and rolling as the sea churned beneath their boat. This was far from the calm soothing rocking that Victor had grown used to. Though Victor couldn’t see outside from his cabin, he was sure that outside, waves were towering high above the ship, crashing together and throwing their ship in every direction.

The door to his room was slightly ajar, and Makka was nowhere in sight. In a panic, Victor threw back the covers and dressed quickly, mind focused on finding Makkachin. He was sure that she was absolutely terrified and Victor needed to comfort her through the worst of the storm.

As he made it to the door, trying hard not to lose his balance as the ship tried to throw him in every direction, someone else ran in.

“ _Victor_ ,” Chris was panting and breathless as he clutched the doorframe for stability. “We have to go, _now._ ”

Something in Chris’ voice told Victor that something was seriously wrong. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest and Victor quickly follow after his friend, Makkachin momentarily pushed from his mind.

“What’s wrong, Chris?” Victor asked as Chris grabbed his wrist and started pulling him down the hall.

“We’re going down,” Chris huffed, his attention clearly captivated by the need to get to the ship’s deck.

“Going down? The ship?” Victor squawked, halting his movement and forcing Chris to stop too.

“ _Yes, Victor_ , the ship is sinking,” Chris growled, tugging hard at Victor’s arm, trying and failing to get him to start walking again. “When the storm hit, the captains lost control of the ship. Our sails were torn by the wind, the rudders were torn off in the current and we have a hole in the lower hull from the impact of the waves. We’re taking on water, there is no time to stop. _We have to move.”_

Victor stood frozen for another moment as he processed the weight of Christophe’s words. The threat of severe damaging storms was always a possibility when venturing out into the sea but Victor had never imagined getting caught in a storm bad enough to take down a ship. Especially not _this_ ship. The royal ship was the strongest, most durable and well build ship that the kingdom owned, yet one storm was enough to tear it to shreds.

“Let’s go,” Chris roared, tugging harder now, growing impatient with Victor’s delays. “We don’t have time to panic right now.”

At the word ‘panic’ followed by another deafening crash of thunder, Victor suddenly remembered that he still had no idea where Makkachin was.

His eyes widened and Victor gasped, “Makka, have you seen her Chris? She wasn’t in my room when I woke up.”

Chris grimaced and shook his head, “I haven’t seen her, but she’s probably already up on the top deck. We don’t have time for this.”

Victor tore his arm from Chris’ grasp, shaking his head. “No, she’s terrified of storms, the top deck is one of the last places she’d go right now. I’ve got to find her.”

“Victor wait,” Chris shouted as Victor took off in the opposite direction. “We have to get up to the emergency boats!”

“I can’t leave her Chris,” Victor called over his shoulder. “She’s family too.”

Victor had no idea if Chris was following him or not, the rocking of the boat and creaking of the wood drowned out all other sounds.

As he passed his quarters, Victor paused briefly just to double-check to make sure Makka wasn’t just hiding under his desk or beneath the bed. When he confirmed that she, in fact, was not there, he tore down the hall again. He threw open every door he could, shouting her name the whole time with the hopes that Makka would come running to him.

Turning the corner, Victor nearly ran smack into a group of handmaids who’d been rushing out of their quarters. Their eyes widened as they spotted him and one woman spoke up and exclaimed, “Where are you going, your highness? The ship is sinking, we must get to the deck.”

“No time,” Victor gasped, pausing for just a moment to grasp her hands. “I must find Makkachin, I will be there soon. You ladies go on, Christophe is back in that direction, go find him, he’ll help make sure you make it to the deck.”

“But your highness…” the woman repeated as Victor took off again. Victor didn’t wait to hear the end of her sentence; he had no time to waste. The thought of leaving Makkachin alone while the ship was sinking during a storm was painfully enough to make him weak in the knees. He tried his best to push out the negative thoughts that tried to cloud his judgment.

As he tore through the room after room and passed countless people, Victor tried not to think that he could already be too late. He had no idea exactly _where_ the ship had been breached but he hoped Makkachin wasn’t anywhere near that location.

Victor’s feet were pounding against the floorboards and he tried his best not to trip as he clambered down the stairs to the third level of the ship. He didn’t know what he would do without Makkachin.

Suddenly, between the sounds of his shouts for Makka and the rumbling of thunder, Victor heard a faint but familiar whimpering sound close by. Victor froze in his tracks and waited in silence for a moment wondering if the sound had just been his imagination. Then, he heard it again, the high-pitched whimpering of his beloved poodle.

“Makka, where are you girl?” Victor shouted, hoping to coax her to come out of hiding.

From somewhere not far down the hall, Makka barked loudly in response, summoning Victor closer.

Victor quickly followed the sound, continuing to call out until he located his quivering dog hiding behind a shelf in a spare closet.

“Makka, baby, there you are,” Victor cooed, getting down on his knees and holding his arms out to the dog.

Makka hesitated, jumping and whining again as another clap of thunder rolled through the air.

Victor leaned closer and grabbed Makka’s collar. He tugged at the collar and thankfully was able to convince her to come without _too_ much trouble.

“I know you’re scared sweetheart but we have to go,” Victor hummed, holding tight to her collar as he led her out of the room to head back towards the stairs.

As the exited the room, Victor glanced to the left and felt his heart sink in his chest. At the far end of the hall, Victor could see standing water on the floor.

Chris really hadn’t been lying when he said the ship was taking on water. They had to move fast or neither of them would never see the light of day again.

“Come on Makka, we’ve gotta run,” Victor urged, quickening his step and practically dragging Makka up the stairs behind him. He was really wishing for Makka’s leash right about now to make travel a little easier. Victor would have tried carrying her if the ship wasn’t tossing about so violently, but he was certain that he would lose his balance if he attempted to.

Victor wasn’t sure how much time had passed as they made their way through the now deserted hallways. Time seemed to be moving at an incredibly slow pace and Victor’s heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. Makka, though she was still scared, at least seemed to understand the urgency of the situation and didn’t try running off again. Victor still made sure to hold onto her though as she still jumped and whined every time, they heard another rumble of thunder.

Then suddenly, as they rounded another corner, Victor ran directly into a panicked looking Christophe. “Oh, thank Christ,” Chris gasped, a little of the worry ebbing from his face as he realized who he had crashed into. “I am going to fucking kill you if we survive this,” Chris swore, with a harsh glare.

“Won’t that defeat the point of making it to the emergency boats?” Victor teased, trying his best to lighten the mood and ease his friend's mind.

The loud cracking of wood interrupted their reunion and they watched as a doorframe at the end of the hallway started to buckle and snap.

“Save your smartass comments for later, we don’t have time,” Chris shouted, grabbing Victor’s arm as he had earlier (except much tighter this time to prevent any further escape attempts) to drag him towards the stairs.

Victor held tight to Makka’s collar as not to lose her as they scrambled up the stairs. The salty smell of seawater grew stronger as they made it to the deck and the air was so thick that Victor swore, he could feel the lightning charging in the air.

There were boxes and discarded items littering the deck. Pieces of the mast and flags had fallen and crashed on the deck, leaving holes and splintered boards everywhere.

“Holy shit,” Victor hummed under his breath. Below deck, one would have no clue just how bad the damage up top was. Victor never dreamed in a million years that he would see the royal ship in such ruins.

“The remaining boats are at the far end,” Chris informed him, breaking Victor from his thoughts. “Follow me and stay close.”

Chris dropped Victor’s hand so they could both focus on walking without falling or stumbling.

As soon as Victor stepped from the cover of the stairway door, he was instantly soaked, rain beating down against him and bouncing off the deck.

Makka tried to shake herself dry once or twice but quickly realized that it was a lost cause.

As they got close to the side of the ship, Victor could see other lifeboats filled with both royalty and crew drifting away from the shipwreck.

“Did my mother make it out safe?” Victor asked, worrying that his mother could possibly still be somewhere deep inside the hull of the ship.

“Yeah, she’s already on a lifeboat. Stubborn as you though. It was nearly impossible to convince her to leave without having you in her sight,” Chris huffed, with a weary shake of his head.

Victor smiled softly, despite his and his mother’s differences, he still knew that she loved him dearly. He was just happy that she was away from the worst of the danger now.

“Come on, hurry up,” Chris called finally making it to the final boat. “Makka, come on girl.”

Makka pulled herself free from Victor’s loose grip and practically sprinted to Chris, who helped her clamber into the boat.

“Traitor,” Victor huffed, with no real venom in his words. He knew that Makka was terrified and was only putting on a brave face because she could sense the danger of the situation.

“Victor, you too. Stop stalling and get your ass in gear,” Chris called, now standing in the lifeboat himself and reaching out a hand towards Victor.

As Victor stepped forward, he felt all the hair on his arms and the back of his neck start to rise, warning him of imminent danger. Before Victor could open his mouth to utter even a sound of warning, a blinding flash of light illuminated the sky.

Behind him, something exploded as lightning struck the boat, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. The force of the explosion knocked Victor off balance and as he stumbled, something smacked into his back, sending him reeling.

Pain exploded across his back and ribs; the wind knocked out of him as his body was thrown toward the edge of the boat.

Victor was gasping for breath, desperately trying to fill his lungs after the wind had been knocked from his body. Then suddenly, what little air he had been pulling into his lungs turned into water. Victor choked, coughing hard, eyes burning as he tried to expel the water from his body. However, instead of riding his lungs of the offending seawater, they simply proceeded to fill with more.

Distantly, Victor knew that he must have been knocked overboard. He was dazed and disoriented, a bright orange glow above the water’s surface was the only thing that allowed him to differentiate up from down. The ship must have caught fire thanks to the lightning strike.

Victor struggled to swim towards the light but it just seemed to be getting further away. His lungs were screaming in protest by now, and Victor was starting to get a little light-headed. Eventually, his body stopped struggling. He didn’t have the strength or the awareness to swim anymore, his body completely out of air.

The edges of his vision were quickly starting to darken, spots dancing before his eyes and obscuring the surface from his view. Victor thought his mama and how sad she was going to be and of Christophe who worked so hard to protect him and keep him safe. He thought of Makkachin who would now be alone without him. Victor wasn’t ready to leave any of them, he had so much he still wanted to do and so many things left unsaid, yet here he was, about to drown on his way to a party meant to help him find a suitor.

When he had dreamed of being one with the ocean, this is certainly wasn’t what Victor had in mind. Now, he was going to die, and his body would likely be consumed by sharks and other terrifying creatures who feasted on flesh and blood.

The last thing that Victor saw before his world faded to nothing, was a glittering flash of something black and what appeared to be a hand reaching for his lifeless body. 


	2. Ocean’s Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, chapter two has been completed! I do apologize for the long wait. I can be very good at procrastination and writer's block always seems to go hand and hand with procrastination for me. I do hope you enjoy this chapter, and I even drew up another piece to go along with it! There is much more of this story to come and much more artwork to go along with it as well! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Chapter is un-beta'd, all mistakes are my own.

The first thing Victor was aware of when he came was a burning, agonizing pain in his chest. His entire body ached and each breath he took felt someone was forcing fire into his lungs. His eyes were scrunched tightly closed against the pain as he did his best to remain still and keep his breathing shallow.

Behind his eyelids, Victor could tell it was early morning, maybe even midday judging by the warm summer sun beating down on his skin. Despite the heat washing over his skin, likely leaving him with a nasty sunburn, Victor still feels chilled to the bone. Never in his twenty-four years of life had Victor ever been this cold, not even that time when, as a young boy, he had fallen through a frozen lake in an attempt to skate did Victor remember feeling quite _this_ cold.

Slowly, memories came drifting into Victor’s dazed, pain addled brain, bringing with it only more confusion and fear. Distantly, he recalled a thunderstorm and his desperate search for Makkachin upon the royal ship. His ears still rang from the deafening sound of the ship exploding as lightning ripped the floor out from beneath his feet followed by the feeling of freefalling into dark, churning waters. His throat was on fire from the salty briny water that had filled his lungs and suffocated, and his eyes burned in the murky water as he slowly drowned, sinking into nothingness. Darkness flooding his vision as he accepted his fate. And… a pale hand reaching for him. An angel swooping in to take him away from this earth.

Victor’s eyes flew open as he remembered. He hadn’t been alone in the water. Someone had reached for him. Did he reach back? Who was it? Had Chris come after in an attempt to rescue him?

As Victor’s body jolted, he cried out in pain, voice rough and broken as his muscles burned and ached. Colors splashed before his eyes, leaving him dizzy and ready to pass out before falling into a violent coughing fit.

Victor curled into himself, chest heaving and eyes watering as he tried to slow his uncontrollable coughing. He tried to hold back the coughs but the just kept coming one after another. Victor started to wonder if he would ever stop.

Distantly, he registered a low, soothing hum, a sound that might be talking or singing even, but he was too distracted to fully concentrate on the sound.

There was a hand was on his back, the touch scorching hot against his chilled skin, easily seeping through the fabric of his shirt. The hand was rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him until he was able to calm down again.

Eventually, the coughs slowed but Victor had no idea how long it took. His lungs were screaming worse than before and his throat felt like it had been rubbed raw. Victor was sure that if he was able to produce enough saliva to spit, the color would be a stark daunting red. Honestly, it was probably better if he didn’t try to think about it at all.

“Shhh, it’s all right,” Victor heard someone say in a heavily accented voice. The accent sounded vaguely familiar, but he was still unable to pinpoint it to a specific region. Victor was sure that he knew the origin of all accents of all the surrounding regions but this one puzzled him.

Eyes crusted and burning, Victor blinked owlishly up at the one who had spoken and gasped, almost launching himself into another coughing fit.

Above him, arms wrapped gently beneath him, was the most beautiful man Victor had ever seen. He was now convinced beyond any doubt that he had drowned. When the ship had wrecked, Victor had certainly died and was now being whisked away to heaven by the most beautiful angel in existence. He had hair dark as a raven and eyes the color of chocolate and melting honey. His skin was pale and smooth, almost reminiscent of a porcelain doll.

“Seeing your beautiful face when I wake up kinda makes all this pain I’m in worth it,” Victor croaked, his voice so scratchy that it was practically unrecognizable.

Victor watched as the man’s warm chocolate-honey eyes widened in shock. His mouth falling open surprise as a deep flush spread across his pretty pale skin.

The man lowered his hand, which Victor only now realized had been stroking through the short, heavily tangled strands of his silver hair.

Victor watched panic flicker across the man’s expression as he began to fidget, almost as if he was preparing to run off.

“No wait, I’m sorry,” Victor pleaded, weakly clutching at his angel, desperate to stop his disappearance. “Don’t go yet. I’ve always wanted to talk with an angel.”

The man hesitated; reluctance evident in his expression. Victor was sure the man could easily break free from his grasp and vanish in an instant, but something was stopping him, making him second guess his decision. He waited as the angel shifted, holding his breath in anticipation. Victor felt that if he so much as twitched a finger before the angel made his final decision, he’d fade into nothing and leave him forever.

After what seemed like ages, the man finally settled and some of the tension eased from his shoulders. “Are… are you okay?” he asked voice deep and gritty, accent still heavily altering his speech. “I was so scared that I lost you… That I was too late to save you.”

“To save me?” Victor asked, brows furrowing as he looked into soft honey eyes. “Is this not heaven? Am I still alive?”

The man nodded, dark hair swaying around his face a little as he moved. Little droplets of water splashed from the ends and onto Victor’s overheated skin, providing little relief. The man reached down and took hold of Victor’s wrist. The flush on Victor’s cheeks grew darker, thinking that the man was trying to hold his hand. It took longer than it should have for him to realize that the man was checking his pulse, not attempting to hold his hand. He felt a little stupid for thinking that, but his heart still raced a little at the thought. “I can assure you that this is not heaven and as far as I can tell, you are still alive. The blood is still flowing through your veins. If you were dead, that would also mean that I without knowing, had somehow died too.” A strange look crossed the man’s face before he added, “There was a point when I pulled you to shore, however, that you were no longer breathing, which is why I had feared my rescue came too late.”

Victor lay there in a daze, held loosely in the other man’s arms as he tried to process this information.

“Well, I suppose that’s why I’m still in so much pain,” Victor mused. “I would hope that all pain would stop once a person dies.”

“Is the pain that bad?” The man asked with a grimace, brows furrowing as his hands started to flutter above him anxiously. It made Victor think of an overprotective mother fussing over her child. Victor couldn’t help thinking about how adorable it made his valiant hero appear. “I thought I had managed to stop most of the bleeding for the wounds you received. Though, you do have a rather nasty cut on your palm that will likely leave a scar.”

“My hand?” Victor asked, both hands to examine the damage. Now that Victor’s attention had been drawn away from his savior, Victor could feel his skin throbbing where his skin had been broken. The throbbing in his left hand was the worst and Victor could see that it had been bound with seaweed, a tinge of red already starting to seep through. From what Victor could tell, the cut was bad. He didn’t feel much pain emanating from his hand either due to shock or extreme nerve damage. Without a medical professional, Victor couldn’t be entirely sure. Victor tried to curl his finger to assess the damage and grimaced darkly when he struggled to get more than the top joints to curl. Since he was already bleeding through the seaweed on his hand, Victor figured that he would probably need stitches and maybe even physical therapy to regain full functionality. At least his sword hand hadn’t been damaged. Victor tried to peel back the wrapping with his right hand but was stopped immediately by his savior.

“Please don’t. That will only make things worse. Also, I must apologize for that as I was the one who caused the injury. In my haste to rescue you, I scratched you and left that deep gash in your skin.”

“I’d rather have a scar and be breathing than no scar and not breathing,” Victor rasped, chuckling softly before falling into another brief coughing fit.

The man pulled him closer and cradled him as he fought through the worst of the coughing.

Once he recovered, curled closer to the man, resting his head against his chest. Victor was exhausted and it seemed like everything was slowly crashing in around him zapping him of his strength. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep for a million years in the arms of this brave man who had saved him and cared for him.

Victor let out a heavy sigh, settling in deeper as his eyes fluttered under the heavyweight of exhaustion. The man squeezed him gently and Victor looked up to see him smiling down at him, a hint of worry glimmering in his eyes.

“Please try not to go to sleep,” the man hummed. “I know you’re worn out but I don’t think that would be for the best at the moment.”

“Mmm…” Victor groaned. “But you’re so warm and comfortable.” He buried his face into the man’s chest to hide his eyes from the sun. To his surprise, Victor found that the man wasn’t wearing a shirt. He opened his eyes in shock and leaned back a little, just to confirm.

Yep. No shirt. Just miles and miles of tanned skin and washboard abs. _Nice._

Of course, Victor was a little stunned, but by no means was he upset about the gorgeous view before him. When he looked up, the man’s cheeks were flushed and he was looking away from Victor, biting his lip. He kind of wished that the man was biting his lip instead.

However, as Victor stared openly at the man’s lips, he started to notice just how sharp and unnaturally pointy they were. Far sharper than normal human teeth, resembling something closer to a shark’s teeth. Alarm bells started going off in Victor’s head, warning him that something wasn’t right. As he continued to watch the man, Victor noticed something sticking up through his hair. Something out of place. It almost resembled… _a fin?_ It couldn’t be?

Victor’s eyes slowly traveled down the man’s body, brain trying its best to process this strange influx of new information. On the sides of his neck and top of his shoulder, Victor saw dark spots that one could easily mistake for a collection of freckles at first glance. However, upon further inspection, Victor realized they were more than that, an almost shiny scale-like appearance to them. A small movement off to the side caught Victor’s attention, his eyes flicking toward it curiously.

Victor’s jaw dropped.

In the space where Victor expected to see normal human legs was a long, dark tail black tail with thin membrane-like fins that faded from black to purple at the end. The tail glistened in the light; translucent fins spread across the sandy shores.

Victor could feel the tension in every part of his body, muscles tight and screaming in agony as he tried to process what he was seeing. He watched as the tail flicked slightly, the sun making the onyx scales shiver and glisten hypnotically.

Dragging his eyes up again, Victor’s gaze redirected to the man’s sides. Well, he isn’t technically a _human male_ – Victor’s brain supplied.

As he expected, nestled between a collection of dark scales Victor could vaguely make out three thin flaps of skin indicating the presents of gills. If one wasn’t looking for them, they’d be easy to miss but Victor had spent many nights learning everything he could about these creatures in secret.

When he finally looked back up to meet honey eyes, Victor was met with cold reservation. He was being appraised based on his reaction, Victor could tell. This _Mer_ was waiting to see if Victor was about to lose his shit over the discovery he’d just made. Though he was hiding it well, Victor could spot fear lingering just below the surface.

Beneath the dark hair at the side of the man’s face, Victor now knowing they were there, could see the cranial fins twitching slightly.

Trembling, Victor lifted his injured hand, hesitating when it neared the man’s face, waiting to be told off or pushed away. The flinched slightly as Victor’s hand neared, but he didn’t pull away. He locked eyes with the creature for what felt like an eternity, searching for any sign of anger or annoyance but there was none. The creature’s expression remained weary but there was something else glinting behind his eyes that Victor simply couldn’t place.

Eventually, the creature moved his head, tilting one side down to be a little closer to Victor’s outstretched hand. Taking this as permission, Victor continued his movements and brushed damp hair aside to fully expose the cranial fin. Victor was thankful that he had read so many Mer anatomy books otherwise he would have no idea what to call these strange head fins.

Victor chewed at his lower lip as he carefully touched the fin. It was wet and slimy under Victor’s finger if it had just come out of the water. The outer ridges were a deep onyx color like his tail while the thin skin was more purple like the fins on his tail.

Victor didn’t know how he had hadn’t noticed this sooner.

“Are you scared of me?” The mer asked, breaking his silence when Victor lowered his hand and finally let the dark hair fall back into place.

“Of course not,” Victor breathed, voice consumed with awe. “I think you’re beautiful.”

The mer’s flush returned and Victor felt butterflies churning in his stomach. Victor kind of wanted to see just how far he could make that deep flush spread if he continued with the praise and flattery.

He watched as the mer bit at his lower lip again, jagged teeth looking sharp enough to bite right through the thin, sensitive flesh. Victor wondered how he hadn’t broken the skin with teeth like that but it would probably be rude to ask so he stayed silent.

Eventually, the mer opened his mouth to speak. Victor waited with bated breath, anxious to hear what the creature wanted to say, but the mer seemed to think better of it and closed his mouth again to Victor’s great disappointment.

“So, does my stunning savior have a name by chance?” Victor dared to ask, trying his best to charm the mer, knowing he probably looked like death warmed over.

“I… yes, my name is Yuuri. Yuuri Katsuki,” the mer answered after a moment of deliberation.

The name was one Victor knew well and said often when speaking with his cousin. However, he’d never heard his cousin's first name pronounced with so much emphasis on the ‘u’ but Victor was already committing it to memory. The name sounded like a melody to Victor’s ears.

“ _Yuuri,_ ” Victor tried out the name, the words almost sounding like a purr as they fell from his lips. “ _Yuuri Katsuki_. Such a lovely name. But then, that’s why it's so fitting for someone as pretty as you.”

Beneath Victor, the mer almost seemed to shutter a bit, his eyes heavy and lidded as he peered down at Victor’s face. He watched as the creature’s eyes dropped down to his mouth momentarily before he looked up and looked away.

“And… what about you?” Yuuri asked after waiting just a beat too long to answer. “Do you have a name?”

Victor beamed up at the flushed Mer and said, “Victor. Victor Nikiforov. It’s both a pleasure and an honor to make your acquaintance.”

Yuuri smiled softly and said, “likewise Victor.”

The way Yuuri said his name sent a flurry of excitement coursing through Victor’s veins. There was such care and consideration in the way Yuuri said his name as well as the way his accent beautifully curled the sound into a melodic tune. Victor could easily spend the rest of his life listening to Yuuri say his name.

“Did I say it right?” Yuuri asked.

“It was perfect. I would gladly listen to you say it a hundred times over,” Victor beamed.

Yuuri blushed again, a shy smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Victor was on cloud nine. He couldn’t believe his luck.

However, their little moment of peace didn’t last much longer after that.

The sound of loud barking followed by the shouts of a human voice and Yuuri’s smile disappearing faster than it had appeared.

Victor already missed Yuuri’s bright sunny smile but he didn’t have time to dwell on it as they both looked in the direction of the sound. Victor immediately knew who that bark belonged to and he felt his heart soar in his chest.

“Makkachin,” Victor cooed as his beloved poodle came bounding over the dunes and onto the beach.

Until this very moment, Victor hadn’t realized that they went alone on some random island in the middle of the ocean. Yuuri had brought him to a land with people and civilization close by. Behind the tall seawall, Victor could just barely see the top spikes of a castle he knew very well. Somehow, Yuuri had pulled him through the waves in a storm and landed him on the shore belonging to his uncle’s kingdom.

While Victor was pleased to know where he was, Yuuri had a less than thrilled reaction. Victor could feel the mer start to recoil and shrink away, his eyes locked on the dog that was eagerly bouncing their way.

Before he could register what was going on, the mer was sliding across the beach, inching closer to the water and away from the dog.

“Wait,” Victor called out after him. “Makka’s a good girl, I promise! She won’t hurt you!”

Yuuri glanced over his shoulder, eyes full of doubt and mistrust as he first looked toward Makka then back to Victor before continuing his escape.

“Please, don’t go yet,” Victor tried to shout, his voice still scratching in his throat. The shout had been so feeble and weak that Victor doubted that the mer even heard him. “Will, I ever see you again?”

The mer certainly couldn’t hear him any longer and Victor had to watch as Yuuri submerged himself in water bit by bit before vanishing completely beneath the surface.

Victor’s heart ached and he longed to follow after the angelic mer who had rescued him from certain death. Why did all good things have to leave him?

He was pulled from his reverie as the body of Makkachin slammed into him, sending fresh waves of pain coursing through his veins. Victor gasped for air as the wind was knocked from his lungs. He tried desperately to catch his break as Makka covered him with kisses and sniffed at the new strange scents that now clung to his skin.

“Makkachin, come back,” Victor heard a male voice shouting.

Victor pulled Makka as close as he dared, looking towards the castle to see who was chasing after his beloved pup.

A grin split across his face when Victor spotted Chris rounding the corner.

Chris stopped short, when he spotted Victor, nearly tripping over his own feet in shock as he processed just _who_ was sitting on the shores.

“V-Victor,” Chris gasped audibly. The next thing Victor knew, Chris was joining their hug, pulling Victor in close and squeezing.

Victor groaned in pain as Chris embraced him, bring his focus to the heavy bruising on his ribs that had briefly slipped his mind.

Chris let go of him quickly, soon realizing that the embrace was causing Victor pain.

Tears were glistening in Chris’ eyes as he pulled back to give Victor a good once over.

“Man,” Chris breathed, “You look like shit.”

Victor winced, thinking about what Yuuri must have been thinking. Victor was sure he must have looked quite pathetic in the eyes of a creature with such captivating beauty.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Victor hummed weakly.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you,” Chris answered, tears begging to fall freely down his cheek. “I really thought we’d lost you this time.”

Victor winced a little. This wasn’t the first time he’d done something that nearly ended up killing him. During his youth, Victor, Chris and Yuri had attempted to ice skate on the frozen pond near his palace. However, as Victor soon found out, the ice hadn’t been nearly as thick as they anticipated. Victor had been trying to show off by performing a jump but ended up crashing through the ice upon landing. Thankfully, Chris, always the level headed one, stayed calm and sent off young Yuri to fetch more help from the castle. Meanwhile, Chris had done his best to pull Victor from the icy hole he created in the ice.

If it hadn’t been for Chris’s quick thinking and actions, Victor likely would have died in that lake. The shock of the cold water had paralyzed him instantly and made it impossible for him to move or even process what had just happened to him.

Now, here they were again roughly ten years later in a similar position, Victor nearly dying in yet another body of water and Chris worrying over his best friend almost dying.

“Is everyone else okay?” Victor asked as Chris subtly tried to wipe his tears.

“Yeah, everyone is fine, physically at least” Chris assured. “Shaken up, but alive and unharmed. You, on the other hand, look like you just had your ass handed to you by a giant squid.”

“Feels like it too,” Victor grumbled.

Chris grimaced. “We need to get you up to the castle and have the doctors check you out. Everyone is beside themselves thinking that you drowned.”

“Is my mother all right?” Victor pressed.

“She will be once she realizes her son is alive,” Chris replied. “Can you stand?”

“Not sure,” Victor hummed, pursing his lips.

With some assistance from Chris, Victor managed to stand on shaky legs, muscle screaming in agony and the pain in his chest knocked the wind from his lungs.

“Alright well, we got you vertical so that’s a start. What about walking? Think you can manage that?” Chris asked, supporting most of Victor’s weight.

“Maybe slowly,” Victor answered honestly, “But not for long.”

“I should probably carry you then,” Chris concluded.

Victor wanted to protest. The last thing he wanted was to make his return to the castle, held bridal style in Chris’ arms. The last thing he wanted was for everyone to see him look even more pathetic than he felt. He was royalty for Christ’s sake. As much as he disliked it, he had a certain image to uphold.

“Don’t try to fight me on this, Vitya.” The warning in Chris’s voice was clear as day. Victor wouldn’t win the argument even if he fought till his face turned blue.

“Fine,” Victor relented. Allowing Chris to gently sweep his legs out from beneath him. “Just don’t drop me. Everything already hurts enough as it is.”

“Where does it hurt the most?” Chris asked as they started to move.

“I think a better question would be where _doesn’t_ it hurt,” Victor scoffed. “But from what I can tell, I have a few broken ribs, heavy bruising on my torso and my left palm will likely need stitches.”

Chris nodded in understanding. “Well, get a nurse to look at you and get everything all patched up.”

In response, Victor simply slung his right arm around Chris’ neck for extra support as they made their way up to the castle.

As they made their retreat, Victor glanced back toward the glittering ocean that had tried to consume him. In the distance, something caught Victor’s eye. He strained his eyes trying to focus on what he was sure was raven color hair peeking out of the water. Victor blinked to clear his vision but when he looked again, whatever he had seen was gone. He had to wonder if someone was actually there or if his mind was just playing a trick on him.

~~~

Victor longed for sleep, his eyes burned with exhaustion as people flitted about and visitors stopped by in droves to wish him well and pray for his speedy recovery. Victor was more than a little irritated by the fuss. It wasn’t like he was mortally ill or something. He’d just gotten some cuts and bruises.

The entire castle had been a teary-eyed, sobbing mess when they had walked through the main entrance. The tears flowed even heavier when everyone realized that the young prince had survived such a horrendous shipwreck.

Even his mother, who normally wore a mask of steel, had broken down and tried to dote on him before she was pulled away to a meeting.

In the medical wing, the doctors on hand assessed Victor’s injuries. They assured him that he had thankfully avoided broken ribs and instead told him that he had some pretty extreme bruising. Victor could already see nasty reddish-brown stains already starting to develop across both his chest and he could feel more littering his back. Additionally, he had a mild concussion that left him feeling dizzy and nauseous as well as a series of lacerations and bruises scattered across the rest of his body. As long as he stayed in dimly lit rooms and avoid straining his eyes he should be okay in a few days. His hand, however, needed a total of thirty stitches to close. The seaweed Yuuri bound around his palm had been a pain in the ass to peel off as some of the blood had dried and crusted, almost seeming to fuse with his skin. Victor had to grit his teeth against the pain, holding back his shouts while tears slipped from the corners of his scrunched eyes. The doctors asked him once or twice why wrapped it in seaweed but he gave them a vague answer, not wishing to reveal that he had received aid from a Mer.

Victor was more than a little relieved when the medical staff had finished their work. His entire body felt stiff and sore from the trauma it had endured. His throat was still burning like fire and his breathing sounded wet and shallow. With each intake of breath, Victor’s chest screamed in agony, pain radiating from every muscle. His doctors urged Victor to try his best to take deep breaths and fight the pain in an attempt to prevent pneumonia from developing. In his weakened state, the last thing that Victor needed was to add a lung infection to his list of problems.

For now, Victor was required to remain in the medical ward so the staff would have easy access to his vitals and monitor his condition. Victor, however, wanted nothing more to stay in the chamber that had been set up for him by his grandfather’s staff. Instead, he was stuck here for the next three days.

The lights in the room were dim and he was holding ice packs over the worst of the bruising while a dull throbbing pain slowly starting building behind his eyes.

In a daze, he thought back to earlier on the shores where he had met his savior _Yuuri Katsuki_. Victor was still shocked that he had been saved by a mer of all things. The way that Yuuri had behaved was far different from anything the legends and folklore told of. Of all stories he had heard and researched as a child stated that Mer’s were violent, bloodthirsty creatures who feasted upon human flesh.

However, something in those amber-brown eyes told Victor that those stories and legends he’d heard over the years may not have been entirely accurate. There had been worry and concern in those endless eyes. Emotions possessed by the human race had been clearly expressed by the Mer, something he hadn’t really expected to see. Maybe merfolk simply chose not to talk to humans all and the legends that were passed around had been falsified or maybe, just maybe Yuuri was the only mer of his kind and none of the others were quite as advanced as him. Though, Victor kind of doubted the latter.

Yuuri had spoken the common language of the land as clear and clean as if he had learned it at a young age as a normal human child did. Most kingdoms had an individual language system but used common speak when talking to those from different lands but Victor found it a little strange that a creature who lived underwater was familiar with the language. The slight accent in Yuuri’s voice led Victor to believe that merfolk also had a unique language used specifically among their kind. This just left Victor wondering who had taught the merfolk or at least Yuuri, this language. As far as he could recall, there were no accounts of anyone ever holding a conversation with these creatures, unless of course, someone was lying.

Maybe the legends and rumors about merfolk being violent and bloodthirsty had all been lies. If that was the case though… then just _why_ were there so many stories of death and horror surrounding them? If these creatures were actually nice, civil beings, then why were such terrible stories told about them? This was all too much to take in. The longer Victor thought about it, the more confused he made himself.

His head was throbbing painfully and it only continued to worsen and he tried to overthink the situation. The doctors had warned him that his thoughts and memories might get a little haze and that trying too hard to concentrate on or focus on something might make his head hurt more.

There were so many questions swirling around in Victor’s brain and so many secrets he wanted to unearth. Unfortunately, all of that would have to wait until his body had fully recovered. Even if he wanted to, Victor doubted that he’d be able to make it far on his own without losing balance and toppling over. Plus, with everyone so worried about him at the moment, his chances of sneaking off undetected was even lower than normal.

Once he was feeling better though… Victor refused to let anything stand in his way. Meeting that kind, handsome, captivating mer had awoken something deep within Victor, something that he had long believed was dead. Now that Victor knew these feelings still existed, he couldn’t just ignore them and let them go. He had done that for far too long and he was tired of it. By following this royal path set before him, Victor could feel himself slowly dying. If he didn’t do something soon, there would be nothing left of him by the time the crown was passed to him.

If it was the last thing he did, Victor was determined to find Yuuri again. He wanted to learn everything he could about Yuuri and his culture. Victor was drawn to the mysterious creature and longed for the chance to be a bigger part of the mers life.

Victor’s thoughts soon began to trail off as his body succumbed to exhaustion. The pain killers the doctors had pumped into his veins were finally starting to take effect and Victor felt like he was floating on a bed of clouds. Before he finally drifted into a dreamless slumber, images of Yuuri danced behind Victor’s eyes.

**~~~**

When Victor finally awoke sometime later, he felt a pair of eyes resting upon him. Victor opened his own eyes, body shifting a little to try and sit up a bit to catch a glimpse of his mystery companion.

“Stop, don’t try to move, you idiot,” A harsh, familiar voice snapped as a firm but gentle hand pushed his shoulder back down.

“Yura,” Victor breathed, a small smile creeping onto his lips. “How are you doing?”

“I should be asking _you_ that question,” Yuri huffed irritably. “You look like you lost a fight with a sea squid.”

“Feels like it too,” Victor replied with a snort. The painkillers were still helping to dull the pain but Victor was sure he would soon need another dose to keep the worst of the pain at bay.

Victor watched as a dark sneer crossed his cousin's face, golden hair framing his face beautifully. “If you weren’t currently suffering from a God damn concussion, I would kick your stupid ass myself,” Yuri spat, voice a low growl. “Can’t even stay out of trouble for one fucking trip.”

“I guess you owe me a raincheck then,” Victor teased trying to keep his tone light. He adored his cousin, even if the kid tried to act touch. Yuri was a little shit, but Victor knew he cared deeply for his friends and family. The kid had a good heart.

“You’re damn right I do,” Yuri agreed. “You’re such an overdramatic ass.”

“I would have no right to retain my royal name if I wasn’t an overdramatic ass. It runs in our bloodline,” Victor quipped. “Who knows, I may have intentionally jumped overboard to avoid the courting party set up by dear mother and grandfather.”

“Don’t you even _try_ to turn this into a joke old man,” Yuri practically screamed. The harsh, abrasive sound made Victor wince as his headache protested the grating noise.

“Please keep it down Yura, my head is killing me,” Victor bemoaned. “You know I tease.”

“Well it's not a laughing matter,” Yuri sneered. “We thought you were _dead_ you prick and now here you are joking about a plan to commit suicide to get out of a stupid party?”

Victor immediately regretted his words, feeling guilty at his lack of consideration for his cousin's feels. He was often told that he could be very insensitive, but Victor just had a hard time dealing with emotions. So many of his own emotions had been pushed aside or deeply repressed so Victor had no idea how to deal with them when projected at him by others. Some may call him selfish, but so be it.

He knew Yuri was probably more torn up than most when he thought Victor had died. Yuri liked to put up a front of piss and vinegar when they were together, acting like he couldn’t stand Victor but it was about as far from the truth as one could get. The two of them had always been close, and Victor knew that his cousin almost idolized him in a way, but Yuri really would try to kick his ass if Victor brought it up. 

“I’m sorry for putting everyone through that,” Victor murmured, looking at his hands as the shame of his behavior wash over him.

“Why didn’t you make it onto the lifeboats?” Yuri demanded. “There should have been no reason for you to _not_ make it there when everyone else had, including your dumb mutt. Hell, you should have been one of the first ones they loaded onto the boats.”

Stabbing pain in Victor’s chest.

_Makkachin._

Thinking about how he almost lost her was enough to make his chest ache something fierce. It was probably the same type of aching feeling that everyone at the palace had felt after he didn’t appear on the lifeboats when everyone landed onshore.

The guilt he felt was all-consuming but Victor would never have been able to live with himself if he allowed Makkachin to drown while he himself lived. He would have been the worst owner in the world to just leave Makka on the boat to meet such a horrible fate.

“I couldn’t find Makka at first,” Victor explained quietly. “The storm scared her and she ran off into a different part of the ship. I couldn’t just leave her Yura.”

Yuri was silent, watching Victor carefully with those sharp blue eyes.

“When I finally found her, the boat was already taking on water. We made it up to the deck, she and Chris made it onto the lifeboat. Then the ship exploded. Hit by lightning I think…” Victor winced as he recalled the earsplitting sound and blinding light as the ground beneath him had been torn away.

When he thought about it, it seemed like everything had slowed down tenfold. He could clearly recall the feeling of electricity surging through the air, raising the hair on his neck and arms moments before impact. The light had been so bright and blinding that, at the time, that he wondered if he had gone blind. Then there was the water, the dark, endless churning sea tossing him around pulling him deeper. The water that had filled his lungs, choking him and the outstretched arm of his savior clutching his wrist and pulling him to the surface.

“Wait, _your savior_?” Yuri squawked, eyes wide with surprise.

Victor looked up at Yuri just as shocked. He hadn’t realized that he was speaking out loud. The concussion was making normal day-to-day thinking and processing hard.

Victor nodded slightly, careful not to move too much least it set off a wave of pain throughout his body. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for a mer who found me and brought me to shore.”

_“A MER!_ ” Yuri screamed far louder than necessary while Victor did his best to shush the flustered boy. “You mean to tell me that you encountered a mer and not only lived to tell the tale, but you also believe that this creature _saved_ you?”

“Yeah, he really did. He stopped me from drowning and stayed with me on shore until I woke up. He was beautiful too Yura, like an angel…” Victor trailed off wistfully, thinking back to the glorious sight he had been blessed with when first waking.

“I think the doctors lied about the severity of your concussion,” Yuri said hesitantly. “I should probably have them come in and check on you.”

Victor’s hand shot out to clutch Yuri’s wrist as he stood. Dull pain rippled through Victor’s body at the movement but right now he didn’t care.

“No wait, I’m serious,” Victor insisted. “I was saved by a Mer. His name was Yuuri Katsuki. He had dark black hair, hypnotizing brown eyes and the most beautiful black and purple tail I’ve ever seen. There is no way he could have been a figment of my imagination. My brain would have been capable of thinking up a creature _that_ beautiful.”

“What did you say his first name was?” Yuri balked.

“ _Yuuri_ ,” Victor repeated. “It’s like yours only the vowels are a little longer.”

“You’ve fucking lost it,” Yuri huffed with a disgusted shake of his head.

“Yura, you have to believe me,” Victor pleaded. “The mer spoke common speak like it was second nature to him. He wrapped my hand up in seaweed to help stop the bleeding. Who else would have done something like that? If you don’t believe me, ask the nurses. They had a hell of a time peeling it off my hand.”

Yuri was silent, staring at Victor but not seeming to see him. His gaze was glassy and distant, deep in thought.

“You okay Yura?” Victor asked after he realized that his cousin wasn’t going to say anything else.

Yuri blinked, almost seeming like he had been pulled out of some distant thought.

“What color did you say his tail was again?” Yuri asked, his voice much softer and calmer now.

“Mostly black, but there was some purple around the edges too,” Victor explained.

Yuri pursed his lips, eyes dropping a little.

“Do you know anything about him?” Victor asked, his cousins’ odd behavior was quite intriguing. It was clear Yura knew something.

“I… yeah maybe,” Yuri mumbled.

Victor tried to sit up, eager at the prospect of new information about his lovely hero. However, he was forced to stop almost immediately as his body throbbed in pain and stars danced in front of his eyes.

“Sit still, moron,” Yuri huffed with a roll of his eyes, watching as Victor gasped against the pain. “Stop trying to hurt yourself, old man. I’m not going to disappear.”

“Fine, I’m sorry. Please, just tell me what you know Yura,” Victor begged. He would be willing to get on his hands and knees and beg if he thought that would make Yuri talk any faster.

“Listen, you can’t tell anyone about this,” Yuri whispered, leaning in closer to Victor after checking their surroundings.

“Cross my heart,” Victor promised, biting his lip in anticipation. He didn’t really have anyone to tell anyway. Well, there was Chris, but he was good at keeping important secrets.

Yuri nodded, accepting Victor’s oath of secrecy before continuing. “I’m pretty sure I have seen the mer you’re talking about. Dark hair to match his dark tail, right?”

Victor nodded in confirmation. His heart was racing so fast in his chest that he was sure Yura could hear it beating against his ribs.

“Right, so he likes to hang out near the castle waters, but rarely gets close enough to shore to see clearly. However, there is an outcrop of rocks visible from the window of my chambers, probably from yours as well, and he goes and sits out there sometimes,” Yuri began. “I’ve seen him out there sunbathing from time to time. Even heard him singing once or twice late at night. He seems pretty skittish though, makes sure to avoid any boats and likely doesn’t know that I can see him-”

“He can sing?” Victor interrupts, eager to learn this new knowledge.

“Don’t interrupt me,” Yuri snapped. “But yes, he can. It’s actually kind of eerie and haunting to hear at night. Almost like he is calling for someone, but it’s not like the legends claim. Like, it’s not hypnotic or anything that would lure fishermen to their deaths or anything. There is no feeling of dark magic behind it. It just makes you feel sad. Almost like he’s lonely.”

Victor pressed his lips together, the corners curving down a bit at that. He wondered what it was that could be causing the mer to be so sad.

“I’ve never gotten close to him,” Yuri admits, “But Beka has.”

“What?” Victor blurted, completely caught off guard by this news. “Beka, as in Otabek, the kid who’s in training to become part of the royal guard?”

Victor watched as a pink flush spread across Yuri's cheek at the mention of the young, dark-haired boy who had joined the royal guard a few years prior. The boy had originally trained at the Nikiforov palace and had been a trainee under Christophe’s charge. However, after about a year he was transferred to the Plisetsky palace to further his training.

Victor vaguely remembered seeing the kid around the palace but he liked to stay in the foreground most of the time. Part of why Victor had paid any attention to him at all was the stark difference between him and most of the other recruits. Most of the new recruits for the royal guard were loud, rowdy and very inexperienced.

Otabek Altin, on the other hand, was a quiet, reserved and well-disciplined boy. He was far more skilled than the other recruits and quickly jumped through the ranks and outshone his peers by a landslide. It was clear from day one that Altin would have no trouble making it into the royal guard. He still needed some training, but Victor did not doubt that the boy would pick it up quite quickly.

His calm and collected personality had been part of why he had been sent to the Plisetsky palace to continue his training. When. Victor's grandfather met Otabek he realized that on top of being a good guard he might be a good influence and help calm his fiery personality.

Based on Yuri’s current behavior, Victor had a strong feeling that Otabek was performing his job well.

“Yes, that’s him, what about it?” Yuri snapped, seeming like a snake ready to strike if anything negative was said.

“Oh nothing,” Victor quickly said. “I just remember when he trained at our palace. He’s a good kid, strong head on his shoulders.”

Yuri nodded once, clearly approving Victor’s statement and calming himself once again. Victor couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more going on between the two. He couldn’t remember the last time Yuri had been so openly protective of another living creature aside from his cat Potya.

“But anyway, Beka _has_ met this mer you’re talking about,” Yuri whispered, quickly getting back to the matter at hand.

“Wait he actually met Yuuri?” Victor gasped. He couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of jealousy knowing that he wasn’t the first or only human who had interacted with Yuuri.

“Yeah, sure has,” Yuri nodded. “The first time they met was when Beka was out patrolling the shores late one night. Guess the mer had gotten tangled up pretty badly in some fish netting and couldn’t get himself free. So, he ended up washing onto the shore near some rocks. Beka said that the mer was terrified and hiss at him when he first spotted him. Beka tried talking to him a bit but didn’t really know what to say. You know him, he’s pretty quiet around most people.”

Victor nodded, thinking back to the few brief conversations they’d shared. They never lasted long and Victor always felt like he had to carry the conversation in order to keep it going.

“Beka said the mer didn’t speak to him at all but eventually he understood that he only wanted to help. So, one the poor dude calmed down, Beka was able to cut him free and then he launched himself back into the water as soon as the final bit of net fell away,” Yuri explained, scratching absently at the back of his head.

“Has he run into Yuuri since then?” Victor asked curiously, eager to pull as much second-hand information from Yuri as he could.

“Yeah, twice,” Yuri confirmed. “Both times he was out on the water.”

“He’s gone into the ocean?” Victor squawked, only to be hushed by his cousin.

“Yes, now would you keep it down? You’re going to draw the nurses in here,” Yuri scolded. “Beka grew up in a fisherman town and his people often braved the waters to bring in the fish for trading with other kingdoms. So, he’s got a pretty good pair of sea legs. Because of this, grandpa lets him go out sailing as long as he stays close to shore, though I am not allowed to go with him-” Yuri sneered, clearly displeased with this arrangement, “-However, while he was out sailing, he met this mer who had washed ashore. The first time was a total accident. The mer surfaced onto that outcropping of rocks I told you about and scared both of them. Beka nearly toppled overboard in surprise and the mer swam away too. But Beka felt bad for scaring him and left him part of his lunch on the rocks. Then he got the hell out of there. When he went back the next day, the food was gone and a pretty conch was left in its place. Now, every time Beka goes out that way, he leaves the mer some food. The last time was actually just a few weeks ago. This mer, Yuuri or whatever, actually came to greet Beka and even thanked him. He also gave Beka some seaweed and told him that it was a good healing agent for injuries. He said he was surprised and hadn’t realized the mer could speak.”

Victor nodded slowly, trying his best to process everything he just heard. His head was still a little fuzzy but he was doing his best to commit this information to memory. “So that’s what made you believe me then,” Victor hummed. “The seaweed wrapped around my hand.”

Yuri nodded. “Da, that and the color of the tail. Plus, you said he had an accent. Beka mentioned briefly that he had a strange accent but his common speak was clean. There was no way you could make all of that up.”

“I told you,” Victor huffed. “ _That mer saved my life_.”

Yuri cocked his head a little. Eyes narrowing as he watched Victor sigh contentedly.

“You’ve got to be fucking joking,” Yuri finally said after a minute.

“What?” Victor asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

“I cannot believe you Vitya,” Yuri sneered. “ _He’s not human_. Does that not matter to you at all?”

“What are you talking about?” Victor pressed, a little taken aback by his cousins’ sudden anger and frustration.

“You’re in love with the mer or something, aren’t you?” Yuri spat, looking at Victor as if he had some type of disease. “ _You are._ I can see it written all over that dopey lovestruck face of yours.”

“I- well… I mean…” Victor stammered over his words, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t have Yuri running off to tell his mother what had happened. “Yuri please,” Victor begged, silently praying that his cousin would keep silent.

“You’re disgusting,” Yuri spat again. “You know something like that would never work.

“But Yura…” Victor started. “I _have_ to see him again. There was something there.”

“Are you sure that’s not just the concussion and blood loss talking?”

“It’s not,” Victor insisted. “Something changed when I met him, Yura. I have never felt this strongly about another human being. I need to find him again and learn more about him. As soon as I’ve recovered, I want to go after him.”

“Is this your way of getting out of the party your mom is planning to host here?” Yuri asked skeptically.

“In a way, yes,” Victor admitted. “But I already know I won’t meet anyone I am willing to court at that party. Especially now that I know such a beautiful creature lives just beneath the ocean surface.”

Yuri pursed his lips tight and looked away, staring at something off in the distance that Victor couldn’t see.

“The party has been postponed, ya know,” Yuri mumbled. “They called it off until you’ve recovered and some of those bruises start to heal up.”

“Really?” Victor gasped, a pleased smile spreading across his face.

“Da,” Yuri confirmed. “So, you should have about a week and a half to track down this mer and get over your little fling or whatever this is.”

Victor sighed. A week and a half wasn’t nearly enough time, especially since he still had to actually track Yuuri, but he knew it was all he’d get. He would just have to make the most of it. He had to make sure his body healed quickly so he could go out and find his beloved.

“Damn…” Victor hummed. “I wish there was some way I could actually go and find him underwater. I might run out of time if I simply wait for him to reappear. I… I think I’m in love with him. I’ve never experienced emotions this strong for anyone but him and I don’t think I ever will again.”

Yuri was silent, still not looking at Victor.

In the quiet room, Victor’s eyes started to feel heavy again. The excitement of their conversation had taken far more out of him than Victor had initially realized.

He had almost completely dozed off when Yuri’s voice pulled him back to consciousness again.

“If you’re serious about this… I might know of a way for you to meet this mer again.” Yuri’s voice was so soft that Victor almost couldn’t make out the words.

Victor blinked drowsily up at Yuri slowly, lids heavy and threatening to slide shut once again. “Are you serious?” he slurred.

“Da, but it’s dangerous and it will likely cost you,” Yuri mused.

“Whatever the price is, I’m willing to pay,” Victor assured his cousin. He had plenty of money thanks to his family line and Victor was sure that he would easily be able to pay whatever was asked of him. “I have to see him again.”

Yuri turned to look at him again, a strange incomprehensible expression on his face. “Heal up first Vitya, then we’ll talk.”

With that, Yuri stood and began to walk away. Victor wanted to call after him but he was too tired to even find his voice. Distantly, Victor heard Yuri speaking with someone, likely one of the nurses before he fell back asleep once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on tumblr: [ mysticemerald](https://mysticemerald.tumblr.com/)


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